Supporting the emergence of outdoor teaching practices in primary school settings: a literature review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Outdoor teaching practices seem to be gaining in importance in many countries, and their positive effects are increasingly being documented. With the aim of providing an overview of what is known about what can support teachers who wish to teach outdoors, this article proposes a literature review on this topic. It poses the following question: What supports the emergence of outdoor teaching practices in primary schools? To answer this question, 33 texts published between 2012 and 2022 and presenting empirical results relating to outdoor teaching with primary school pupils (aged 5–12) were analysed. The results suggest six ways to support the emergence of outdoor practice: (1) building a common culture; (2) securing initiative through experimentation; (3) offering practical training in real-life contexts; (4) networking communities of professionals interested in outdoor pedagogy; (5) peer-to-peer planning, implementation and evaluation; and (6) including outdoor pedagogy in the school curriculum. Actions that could be undertaken by key players in the school field – teachers, pedagogical advisors, principals and school board administrators – to contribute to the emergence of outdoor teaching practices at the primary level are proposed.